Windows
by a. loquita
Summary: Ficlet to fill in the backstory of how/when/where Jean bought her stunning new white nightgown. Written for the prompt "Favorite Jean Outfit"." Lucien/Jean


Title: Windows  
Fandom: Doctor Blake Mysteries  
Pairing: Lucien/Jean  
Rating: T  
Summary: Ficlet to fill in the backstory of how/when/where Jean bought her stunning new white nightgown. Written for the prompt "Favorite Jean Outfit"  
A/N: Thank you to gabolange— both for the fun fannish discussions which led me to this fic idea, and being gracious enough to beta for me :) All remaining errors are my own.

* * *

Sitting alone at a table in the window of a cafe, Jean sips her afternoon tea and glances out at the bustle of the city. For the most part, she likes living in Ballarat but she must admit there are aspects of Melbourne she finds appealing. The first is the larger array of choices she can find in the shops compared with home. So she takes occasional day trips into Melbourne to shop for special items. The second is the anonymity that she enjoys here, a welcome break from the prying, judgmental eyes of small town life.

Especially now.

Though she didn't recognize anyone on that bus from Ballarat to Adelaide a month ago, that doesn't mean there weren't people who recognized her or Lucien. Still others would've noticed his unforeseen absence for more than a week from Ballarat and Jean's return swifter than planned. The replacement housekeeper, Evelyn Toohey, was quietly let go through no fault of her own, so Jean can resume her place running the Blake household and surgery. Jean's sure there's talk, even if none of it has reached her yet. And she hasn't even decided how to put it into words for their closest family and friends— including Christopher Jr and Mattie, who've both been fishing for information— what there is to say about her and Lucien, let alone how to announce to the community of Ballarat at large.

She and Lucien are keeping the shifting status of their relationship between the two of them for now, while they adjust to this newfound wonderful reality. She's grateful they agreed on that, because although Jean is thrilled, it's all happening rather quickly while she's still trying to set it straight in her head.

What does this mean for her future? Lucien hasn't said anything specific yet, but his actions have hinted at plenty. She knew for sure when the engagement ring that Christopher gave her went "missing" from her jewelry box for three days. Having so few real pieces of jewelry, Jean's always very careful with what she owns and knows she didn't misplace it. Then when it suddenly turned up on the floor in her bedroom, while Lucien did a terrible acting job pretending he had no clue where it had gone—she knew. It's not as if they live in the shadier part of town where burglaries are common! Or he suddenly can't remember how to solve a simple crime? No, that man had her ring for three days, and Jean has a decent idea why.

A shiver runs through her as the realization hits her yet again: he sized a ring for her. He wants to marry her. Of course she wants the same, and she can't help but hide a smile behind her teacup.

* * *

There's a ladies boutique that Jean loves located a few blocks over from the tea shop, but she doesn't visit it on every trip she makes to Melbourne. This is probably fortunate, because she treasures everything they have to offer and must hold herself back from spending her entire savings. She's made her own clothes most of her adult life, but on occasion she's treated herself to a new hat here, or a skirt there, and once she bought a sleek green dress from this boutique. Unfortunately the first time she wore it happened to be on a date with a man who—well, best not to think about that. She's never been able to wear the dress since. But she does remember the way Lucien looked at her that night and it's the sort of thing Jean hopes will feature more prominently in her life. Perhaps treating herself to something new today, something she can wear should Lucien take her out to dinner or the pictures, would be nice.

It's been a long time since she's acted this way. This change in their relationship shouldn't impact her habits but oh, she's fairly certain that it does. In the past, treating herself was for her own happiness. Instead, she's currently walking through the streets toward a shop to pick out clothes that will hug her hips in the right way, because she wants him to notice.

Jean has more than an hour before she needs to catch the bus so once through the doors of the boutique, she takes her time browsing. Eventually she makes her way to an area in the back and considers a display of silk blouses there. Then she turns and sees it: a nightgown that is as white and downy as a cloud, feminine, not overtly sexual but suggestive enough. The lace and attention made to the stitching is high quality. She loves it.

She really shouldn't get ahead of herself. But it's the last one that they have in stock, and when she tries it on, it fits beautifully. They're not even engaged yet, he's only sized a ring but not yet worked up the courage to give it to her, and this garment is jumping ahead of everything to a distant wedding night of her dreams. She really has no good reason to purchase something like this, at least not anytime soon.

Jean catches the bus home with a special wrapped parcel tucked under her arm.

* * *

Several weeks into their honeymoon, Jean wakes to the sun slipping in from the space where the curtains aren't quite closed together in the middle. The Paris morning beyond their hotel window bustles with people and traffic and promises of more adventures, but she ignores it all. Jean snuggles closer into the warmth of her new husband not wanting the world at large to intrude just yet. His naked skin pressed to her own, the feeling of this closeness night after night, morning after morning, no barriers between them, is delicious.

As it turns out, after holding on to it for so long and fretting over it, she's got no need for any sort of nightgown at all as Mrs. Blake.


End file.
